Finasteride

The drug, finasteride – commonly used to treat male baldness – is currently undergoing tests at an Italian clinic and could soon help to alleviate hair loss in women.

It’s not just men; women also suffer from hair loss and, in fact, up to half of women experience some hair thinning during their lifetime. Hair loss in women can be a more traumatic experience where thinning across the scalp, as opposed to a receding hairline in men, is the most common condition.

Common causes of hair loss in women include hormonal changes due to post pregnancy and when coming off the pill.

The drug, minoxidil, is currently used to treat baldness and is applied in lotion form to the scalp, while finasteride comes in pill form and may be an alternative for women who may be allergic to the hair restoring lotions such as minoxidil.

How does Finasteride work?

Finasteride stops the male hormone testosterone being converted into dihydrotestosterone - a likely cause of baldness – so that the hair follicles are allowed to continue growing.

Many women were involved in a recent study to see the affects of finasteride on thinning hair; however, the drug is already known to be hazardous for pregnant women as it can cause birth defects.

The Finasteride study

Thirty seven women with thinning hair between the ages of 19 and 50 years were administered finasteride over 12 months and monitored. They were later checked for hair density using computerized light videodermoscopy; a high-definition video technique.

After 12 months, 23 of the 37 women that had been taking the finasteride had improved hair density, while 13 had the same density as before and one had worsened. Most of the women thought they had improved and none thought they had gotten worse.

Research of finasteride will continue to study the affects of the drug on post-menopausal women. Finasteride is thought to have no effect on those with alopecia.